For the life of me, I could not get into this story. I think it was a writing or structure issue. While I thought that the book excerpts interwoven in the text was fun, they felt disruptive and it couldn't get in a rhythm with the story. The humor in the story was also great and made reading easy, but did make me feel distant from the characters.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a delightful blend of mystery and romance set against the backdrop of a lavish destination wedding, perfect for fans of lighthearted, whodunit thrillers. Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author, reluctantly attends her ex-fiancé's wedding on a private island, where things quickly spiral from awkward to deadly when the bride is poisoned, and a body is discovered.

Kate, trying to juggle finishing her latest novel, finds herself thrust into a real-life mystery eerily similar to the plot of her book. With the help of Jake Hawkins, her former romantic flame and now an unlikely ally, Kate navigates a web of secrets, grudges, and a growing sense of danger among the wedding guests. The chemistry between Kate and Jake adds a fun layer of tension to the already suspenseful situation.

Moke’s writing is witty, fast-paced, and filled with quirky characters, making this a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a mix of humor, suspense, and romance. With a vibrant setting, a mysterious murder, and a second chance at love, She Doesn’t Have a Clue keeps readers hooked until the very end.

I LOVED this book! Kate and Jake are absolutely perfect and I loved how the story slowly evolved into a whodunit murder mystery. I wish the Loretta books were real because they seem like something I would love. The way Kate went into detective mode and began figuring out pieces of the puzzle was fantastic and the pace of the book was just right. I also liked how the ending didn’t seem rushed and felt as if it completed the story. I’d definitely love for this to become a series so we can see what happens next!

2.5 stars

I don't think this book was horrible, and it definitely had an interesting premise, but I found the execution to be lackluster.

This book seemed to drag on, whether due to the length, or the slow speed of the plot. Despite feeling like I spent years with these characters, I never felt a connection to them or between any of them. I would have loved if the relationships felt a bit more real.

The plot was relatively interesting, but we kept flip flopping between who the suspects were and it got quite boring when nothing more dramatic happened.

Overall, I liked the idea of this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

A light romance-mystery to keep you entertained! Kate Valentine, author of a mystery series, is invited to a private island for her ex-fiancé wedding. Murder (or attempted murder hijinks ensure. Along the way, she reconnects with a former potential love interest who quickly become a love interest. Agh way to spend a few hours.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

A little less thrilling of a mystery than I normally would like, but was still an enjoyable ~cozy~ mystery.

Thank you Minotaur and St. Martin’s Press for my advance electronic copy. My opinions are my own.

This was definitely a fun book! Kate is kind of a mess—a lot of the characters are kind of a mess, to be honest! Actually, they all seem to have ulterior motives for being at the wedding. And all came with some kind of grudge. But Kate draws inspiration from her own kick-butt heroine Loretta, and strikes out to solve the mystery as it quickly multiplies into more. So does it really matter that Kate hides behind Loretta, using her as an alter ego in times of stress? Kate may not be the best investigator, and she may be all too distracted by a certain hot Australian, but she has a good heart. And the plot isn’t super complex, which means a whole lot of chuckles for the reader as the hijinx ensue!

This is a fun and quirky mystery. It is full of unique characters and surprising situations. You never know what will happen from one moment to the next.

The two main characters have amazing chemistry that oozes right off the page. Their relationship is almost better than the main plot of the story. There are some intense sex scenes so if you like your romance more subtle and those kinds of details left largely to the imagination, you might want to choose a different book. Anyone else looking for a mystery with plenty of romance should enjoy this book.

3.75 rated up. This book was exactly what I needed this week. I devoured it in under 24 hours. Would have finished in a day if I'd started earlier. It was a bit on the lighter side, but sometimes that's exactly what you need. It had just enough mystery and romance to keep me hooked. I liked most of the characters. Jake was my favorite. How could you not love him? Some parts of the book were a bit over the top but its okay!

If you like a lighter locked room mystery this is for you.

Kate, an author with a small Pacific Northwest publishing company, is on her way a remote private island for the wedding of her ex-fiancé. Her ex who also happens to be her editor. And since the next installment of her detective series is due, she is going power through all the social awkwardness to hopefully ‘gift’ a draft at the end of the weekend. Unfortunately, things turn out of Kate’s favor immediately with the surprise appearance of past love interest Jake, some heiress family drama and suspicious activity straight out of her novels — including the attempted poisoning of the bride! This mystery is a little too real for Kate, what will she do?

This was a fun little romance. Kate’s character is a mess that you just can’t help rooting for as she navigates the mystery on the island while simultaneously sorting out her personal romantic life. A perfect novel if you want a quick romantic escape with a detective vibe and a healthy dose of comedy. 4 stars.

Based on a digital Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an honest review.

She Doesn't Have a Clue is a quirky romance / mystery set on a private island. It has the makings of a page turner with many of my favorite tropes - friends to love interests, ex boyfriend drama, a mystery, and family drama. I overall enjoyed this book but did find that I was hoping for a bit more oomph in the mystery elements. The storyline between Kate and Jake was my favorite part of the book.

If you're a fan of quirky main characters and hijinks that come along with that, you will likely love this book. The author's voice is enjoyable to read and I am glad to have had the opportunity.

The title of the story really captures the essence of Kate the main female character, she doesn't have a clue. She's pretty oblivious to everything that's happening around her. But I still loved this story.

Kate is an author of a popular mystery series, she's on a private island to attend the wedding of her former fiancé (who also happens to be her editor?!) and ends up having her old friend/ the guy she helped write books for/ has been in love with since forever as her plus one. Of course there's a big storm that blows in the weekend of the wedding and everyone is trapped and things start to go weird. I loved getting little snippets of the books that Kate had written while she's in the middle of her own real life murder mystery.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
Romantic mystery.
Kate Valentine is a mystery writer of the famous Loretta Starling series. Kate has a habit of putting herself in imagined Loretta’s shoes and asking “what would Loretta do?” Unfortunately Loretta isn’t talking to Kate these days and her current book is way past deadline. When her editor invites Kate to an exclusive private island for his wedding, she can’t really refuse even though he is also her ex-finance.
Kate jumps on the last boat to the island and finds her biggest romantic regret, Jake Hawkins. Somehow he’s going to the wedding as her plus one.
A huge storm threatens the island, and a string of strange occurrences mimicking Loretta’s last case, have Jake and Kate questioning everything. Can she help solve a real life mystery or is her skill only make believe?

Poor Kate is so out of her depth. But she tries hard and means well.
A locked room, murder mystery romcom. Entertaining in its strange half clues and piecemeal reveals, as Jake professes his love and Kate is still thinking, WWLD.
Started and ended well. I needed a little perking up on the middle.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.
3.5

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke follows Kate Valentine as she embarks on a weekend that she wished she never partook in.

What will happen when Kate Valentine attends her ex-fiancee's private island wedding?

Kate Valentine
Kate Valentine is our sleuth and female love interest on this wild journey. She thought attending this wedding would be a great time to work on her latest overdue manuscript for her editor. The editor is the same person who is getting married and is her ex-fiancee. Kate Valentine tried her hardest to finish the book before this point, but nothing seemed to flow until this crazy weekend.

She tries to hide behind her books instead of living the life she wants because she is afraid. Kate goes through a lot of progression of herself and what she wants throughout this story. I do like her as a character, and I hope she continues to grow while not letting what happened at the wedding set her back.

The Mystery
Kate Valentine ends up living at least two of her books during this weekend. Except she isn't the only person to put that two and two together and to save her own behind, Kate needs to solve the mystery so that she doesn't end up going to jail after this weekend is over. The first mystery is the poisoned bride, and then she stumbles across a dead body while trying to solve the first mystery. Now Kate has two mysteries to solve and unknowing if they are connected until everything starts to fall into place. I must admit I figured out the murderer but not the why until the sleuth did. At this point, I felt terrible for Kate since she had had a rough weekend when all she wanted to do was work on her book and get some free champagne.

The Romance
Kate Valentine gets help from Jake Hawkins - an Australian, an old friend, and Kate's love interest - since he doesn't want to see her get hurt. They use the whole thing about two heads being better than one to justify it. Jake and Kate end up getting together, and I think they are cute. They both worked through the faults that they made in the past and are stronger than ever now.

Four Stars
My rating for She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is four stars. I also recommend She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke to adult readers as it gets a bit steamy in a few scenes and is inappropriate for young eyes. Ms. Moke did an excellent job on her first adult book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Successful author Kate is invited to her ex-fiance's fancy wedding on a private island. Before Kate even arrives at the island she almost misses the ferry, is stuck with an ex-friend/almost romantic partner and adventure-writer (? not sure what to refer to Jake at the beginning of the story), has to walk to the mansion because a shredded taxidermy animal has blocked the tracks of the train, and she hears a very angry altercation between two wedding guests. Throw-in the fact that Kate has a case of writer's block, and the fact that the groom and ex-fiance is also her editor, and there is probably cause for mayhem to ensue--and it does.

The bride-to-be is poisoned, the bride's aunt, who is hosting the wedding, disappears, and a huge storm cuts-out the power. Kate puts on her "sleuthing sweater," (seriously, yes) and gets to work.

Overall, this is a fun ride. Kate gets herself into some ridiculous situations, and is always thinking about what her best-selling character, Loretta Starling, would do to get-out of said ridiculous situations. There's quite a bit of back story between Kate and Jake, and it is explained, but many times I felt like I was almost missing a prequel. I'm not quite certain why Kate felt obligated to attend this wedding in the first place. Yes, her editor is the groom, but he is also her ex, and is a jerk (although some of his behavior is explained close to the end.). Also: I found it tricky to keep some of the wedding guests straight. I almost needed to keep a post-it with who's who. In the end, everything works out. The murderer is revealed, Kate's writer's block is gone, Kate and her ex have mended faces, and of course, Kate and Jake are headed to the HEA.

I liked the premise of this book... a mystery author attending an elite wedding on a private island in the Pacific Northwest finds herself embroiled in a real-life murder mystery. The house was the star of the show. I mean, who does love early 1900's mansions with a treasure trove of hidden passageways and a menagerie of taxidermy? But for some reason, this book fell flat for me. I am a voracious reader, so taking an entire week to get through a book is "off" for me. Maybe it was the book. Maybe it was my headspace. Two major tragic air disasters and a rogue government destroying the health of a nation this week did not lend me to enjoying a cozy mystery. I needed more violence and angst. The spice was OK but didn't feel authentic, nor did it add to the story in my opinion. Maybe on another day or in another time, I would have enjoyed this book more.

2.5 stars rounded up because I was a distracted reader experiencing moral distress.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC,

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is everything I love about a cozy mystery but add a little spice. Kate, a mystery writer, goes to a destination wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle. While there, Kate encounters a former friend, her ex-fiancé and his new fiancé. She has to deal with an attempted murder, an actual murder and the people pointing fingers at her. This story was a fun read. I enjoyed the romantic elements added to the mystery. It was a quick read for me so that means I really enjoyed it. Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital arc.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a romance meets mystery read, and I had a great time with it. Kate agrees to attend the wedding of her ex fiancé on a private island and predictably chaos ensues, which just so happens to follow the plot of her mystery books. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Kate and Jake as they explored their relationship and stumbling blocks to their romantic history. They had great chemistry and banter even when Kate made frustrating decisions relating to Jake. I do think Kate grew as a character during the story. However, as much as I was here for the romance, I was all about the mystery plot line. I enjoyed the parallel to Kate’s mystery books as well as Kate trying to place herself in her FMC’s shoes to solve the mystery. I also thought the author did well with sprinkling the clues in that point to the suspect especially looking back at the story. I was shocked in a good way by the reveal. I read this via audiobook and Sarah Mollo-Christensen did wonderful in her narration. It was easy to keep the different characters separate. Mollo-Christensen also nailed Kate’s awkwardness and the comedic moments. I would highly recommend the audiobook if you’re planning to read this.

Spicy, male female, 3rd person point of view, contemporary romance. I love a forced proximity trope! I thought this was a really fun mystery rom com. There was great banter and I felt this was a perfect length read.

What happens when you attend your ex high end wedding and stumble across a dead body? For Kate out becomes a nightmare of sorts as she tries to plaster a smile through the event she really did not want to attend. She is clueless to what is going on as she stumbles through as she solves the case. A quirky fun read that combines mystery and some romance interactions.